Friday, September 17, 2010

Kukui

The Kukui sweater was named after the Aleurites Moluccana tree, also known as the Candlenut Tree. This tree, native to Hawaii, grows the kukui nut.

In Hawaii, kukui is a symbol of enlightenment, protection and peace. It was said that KamapuaŹ»a, the hog-man fertility demi-god, could transform into a kukui tree. There is a legend told of a woman who, despite her best efforts to please her husband, was routinely beaten. Finally, the husband beat her to death and buried her under a kukui tree. Being a kind and just woman, she was given new life, and the husband was eventually killed.